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+--- Thread: Article Antarctica is covered in volcanoes, could they erupt? (/thread-15703.html)
Antarctica is covered in volcanoes, could they erupt? - C C - Apr 8, 2024
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/antarctica-is-covered-in-volcanoes-could-they-erupt
EXCERPTS: Antarctica is perhaps best known for its endless expanse of ice and snow. But what many people don't realize is that hiding beneath its frosty facade are dozens of volcanoes.
In fact, under the continent's massive western ice sheet sits what is considered the largest volcanic region on Earth, with as many as 138 volcanoes. Of those volcanoes, 91 were first discovered as part of a 2017 study published in the journal Geological Society.
So, could any of Antarctica’s volcanoes erupt on the southernmost continent? For geologists, this question is both easy and hard, depending on the volcano.
[...] While these volcanoes, which are surface expressions of heated material leaving Earth's interior, are considered young as far as volcanoes go, scientists were unable to "distinguish whether or not [they] are volcanically active," the study authors wrote.
[...] Despite there being only two active volcanoes on the continent, Antarctica is speckled with fumaroles, volcanic vents that release gases and vapors into the air. If conditions are right, accumulation from these vents can create deposits known as fumarolic ice towers that reach heights of 10 feet (3 m).
Although scientists are constantly monitoring Antarctica's volcanoes with instruments, it can prove challenging to predict when exactly one might erupt next. In other words, besides the two active volcanoes and the various fumaroles, it's hard to say if any of the continent’s other volcanoes might erupt... (MORE - missing details)
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Given how unpopulated Antarctica is, do the consequences really matter? Would unexpected eruptions contribute massively to climate change? If the continent becomes habitable in the future due to warming, does it mean newly settled communities should be prohibited from building in the neighborhood of these volcanic suspects?